Let me tell you it has gotten to be insane at the dome. My family used to hike Half dome as an annual event, but the last year before they decided people needed to have permits in 2010, the wait was insane. We had hiked all the way to the saddle, which is that little hump you go over before actually hiking the dome. We waited almost two hours before actually being able to go onto the ropes. It was a great think I brought sunscreen, otherwise we would have been lobsters. Then once we got onto the ropes people were actually going outside of the two ropes and were climbing on their hands and knees going up with no rope. Phew, it turns my stomach just thinking about that day.

Personally having people purchase a ticket couldn't be smarter, however how it is being enacted is easily corruptible. People are winning tickets,permits and then selling them on amazon. It is outrageous. I have not been able to hike half dome since 2010, which sucks extremely, that was a really fun hike. It has gotten to that point of desperation, that I want to go hike it at night, where there is no one patrolling the ropes.